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Check out this photoshop of a middle ground Castle Grayskull design by the super tallented Alessandra. It's silimar to the vintage CG box art over all. However, it has almost all the details from Mark Taylor's prototype design, eyes and cheeks similar to the vintage box art. It has a nose and big chunky teeth silimar to the Filmation design and some what akin to the vintage toy box art teeth and nose. Personally I think this kind of hybred design gives something to all fans of Castle Grayskull rather than just honoring one look. The design needs to appeal to the widest range of fans to support the pre-order. I know this won't be to everyones liking, but as a happy medium (just like the vintage box) I think it's great and contains a number of the iconic elements that fans have absoloutely loved about Castle Grayskull over the years.

However I'd like the back and front be 2 seperate pieces that attach to 2 side walls. A detachable floor would also be cool too with foot holes (similiar to the figure stands or even incorporating the figure stands on the castle floor, so you can display figures battling inside the castle!) So long as the inside has a throne for the Sorceress to sit on (taking into account the drums on her back!) and a working jaw bridge, I don't mind if the playset is bare bones as far as accessories go. I say keep the budget on giving us the best Castle in regards to size and detail on the sculpt. You can easily add to the Castle with releases similiar to the weapons rack futher down the road...

and no stupid gimmicks such as the ridiculous lift from the vintage toy!

Me neither. I don't understand why people say Mark Taylor / Alcala's CG looks goofy whilst they are praising the hell out of the Filmation version. Those lower teeth are terrible.

Because some fans really like the symetrical and pronounced skull like features of the Filmation Castle Grayskull face. Those angry eyes and massive and imposing teeth were epic and gave many children a sense of wonder, Awe and a sense of the magic and Power that was inside the Castle. It's look is just as iconic as the design elements from the vintage toy and prototype...and arguably more well known that the Asymetrical look of the face on Mart Taylors prototype castle. That to me in all honsety looks like it's got gum disease and is a delapated crumbeling ruin, not something that would house the gratest power in the universe. Nothing like the immensly powerful and stern look we find in the face of Filmation Grayskull and the vintage toy box art!

If there is not enought Filmation influance in the castle design Mattel will turn many fans of the Pre-Order. At the end of the day the savage cannon fans will have a lovely B-Sheet design to fawn over but that will be it! The same rings true for Filmation fans and wanting a pure Filmation design, I imagine many savage cannon fans will more than likely not support the pre-order. Finding a middle ground that brings in lots of the iconic design emements of Castle Grayskull's over the years would surely be the best way to unite both groups of fans and will hopefully mean enough pre-orders are achieved in order for MOTUC Castle Grayskull to go into production?

Last edited by Angel-T; September 25, 2012 at 05:35pm.

PRO CLASSIC POP TOY DESIGN ELEMENTS BEING USED IN MOTUC TO COMPLEMENT THE FILMATION DESIGNS!!!!

I FULLY SUPPORT THE INCLUSION OF ILLUMINA IN MOTUC!!!!!

IF YOUR SICK OF WAITING FOR A LIGHT TO APPEAR AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, STRIDE DOWN THERE AND LIGHT THE BLOODY THING YOURSELF!!!!!!!

Because some fans really like the symetrical and pronounced skull like features of the Filmation Castle Grayskull face. Those angry eyes and massive and imposing teeth were epic and gave many children a sense of wonder, Awe and a sense of the magic and Power that was inside the Castle. It's look is just as iconic as the design elements from the vintage toy and prototype...and arguably more well known that the Asymetrical look of the face on Mart Taylors prototype castle. That to me in all honsety looks like it's got gum disease and is a delapated crumbeling ruin, not something that would house the gratest power in the universe. Nothing like the immensly powerful and stern look we find in the face of Filmation Grayskull and the vintage toy box art!

If there is not enought Filmation influance in the castle design Mattel will turn many fans of the Pre-Order. At the end of the day the savage cannon fans will have a lovely B-Sheet design to fawn over but that will be it! The same rings true for Filmation fans and wanting a pure Filmation design, I imagine many savage cannon fans will more than likely not support the pre-order. Finding a middle ground that brings in lots of the iconic design emements of Castle Grayskull's over the years would surely be the best way to unite both groups of fans and will hopefully mean enough pre-orders are achieved in order for MOTUC Castle Grayskull to go into production?

The vintage characters of MOTUC all come from the vintage era boxart, as shown with the squinty-eyed Ram Man and black eyed Man-E-Faces. While some fans might not have liked those design elements, they accepted those figures and purchased them.

Castle Grayskull will most likely be the same, Filmation influence or not.

If anything, maybe we should be asking ourselves what the 4H can add to the interior of the Castle? Should the computer screen be blank or should it have an image? Should the mural of Hordak vs the Snake Men be placed somewhere? Wooden floors or stony floors?

Eamon has made a few suggestions on the hybred design Alessandra and I came up with. He kindly worked them into the design.
More blue in the color, battlements further back and larger teeth that come all the way to the floor. I love how his changes show that by making the turret at the top of grayskull removable it give fans a great display options, to either allow the castle to look closer the MT prototype of the Filmation Castle Grayskull! Best of both worlds. I personall prefer the design Alessandra and I worked on a bit more, but I love the bigger teeth on Eamon's photoshop.

Last edited by Angel-T; September 25, 2012 at 05:36pm.

PRO CLASSIC POP TOY DESIGN ELEMENTS BEING USED IN MOTUC TO COMPLEMENT THE FILMATION DESIGNS!!!!

I FULLY SUPPORT THE INCLUSION OF ILLUMINA IN MOTUC!!!!!

IF YOUR SICK OF WAITING FOR A LIGHT TO APPEAR AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, STRIDE DOWN THERE AND LIGHT THE BLOODY THING YOURSELF!!!!!!!

the best of Grayskull, I LIKE the mark taylor prototype but the fangs are way too small, the classic Grayskull was GREAT but we can do more details and sharper contrasts today. I maintain we keep the ledge and the top of the crown for sure, add mystery from the filmation and alcala drawings.

Yeah, I wouldn't buy that. I wouldn't say no to a small-scaled, icon heroes type, like the business card holder (have considered buying it), but at this size, and at this price point, I would not preorder CG if it had any of those weird filmation elements. Especially the teeth.
Although I don't think it matters, if it gets made it will be sculpted the way they said it would be, in line with the rest of the toys from that era--art/toy.

If you heard me at the panel, I did another Baena-girllie-squeal like I did for Alcala Skeletor head.

I'm 100% behind this, bring on the pre-order page!

Originally Posted by oulala

EDIT: One more thing. I was looking at that round 'sticker' cardboard base that goes around the Mark Taylor Prototype.
I think it would be AWESOME if the 4 horsemen made that into an actual 3D, sculpted base that's actually high. (maybe 6 or 8 inches high) and that would make the Castle look even more fearsome and ominous. That would make the Jawbridge 6 or 8 inches higher than the ground and allow awesome posing with the figures hanging from it, legs kicking in the air etc. :-)

My word, I’m an idiot. All this time I’ve been thinking that the Grayskull they showed is actually the one the FH sculpted. I didn’t realise it was the prototype for the original toy. So, even though that one is good, the Classics one should be ten times better.

I wonder, is anyone getting Castle Grayskull for their VINTAGE toys? Aside from the throne being a little big and the laser cannon being too high, you'd have one hell of a castle! The trap door might work better too!

Put me down as more in favor of the Taylor prototype than Filmation. I wouldn't be opposed to some Filmationish elements being included, like maybe the flying buttress type things, but please, not those goofy-looking teeth.

I'm in favor of it being much like the original, only to scale. I'd love for it to have the moat sheet too, but don't think I could display the play mat, thing.

These days, I really come at things from a display standpoint. If it can't be displayed, and will only sit in a closet, then there's not much point. Now, this is one item that transcends that though, but still, I'd prefer to display it somehow.

It would be at a huge size just scaling it up. And the action features wouldn't make sense anyways. Plus the adult collector in me doesn't need play features. Some floors would be great, a thrown, some other stuff, maybe even packed with future figures.

Any larger and it gets overly cumbersome.

The space inside the castle is magical. The huge room where the sword rested with all the crystals wouldn't likely fit between the moat edges and still have structural support. Not that magic needs structural support. But still. I'm not looking for realism or size in this. At scale, it would be HUGE. And that'd more than enough to satisfy me. Four walls and needing a 30" deep shelf to display it would instead require closet space. That'ed be sad.

I wonder, is anyone getting Castle Grayskull for their VINTAGE toys? Aside from the throne being a little big and the laser cannon being too high, you'd have one hell of a castle! The trap door might work better too!

I never thought of that, but it's a great idea. I will have to try it out.

I wonder, is anyone getting Castle Grayskull for their VINTAGE toys? Aside from the throne being a little big and the laser cannon being too high, you'd have one hell of a castle! The trap door might work better too!

Totally, and MISB vintage Castle Grayskull would be way more than $200, so I see this as a great way to get more buyers - vintage only toy collectors might want to branch out for this one.

I would like a CG with 4 walls as well, but with a $200 price tag and the original toy stated as the basis, there's no way. I fully expect the MOTUC CG to have a two-story interior and open at the side with two walls like the original.